Themed to the film Tangled, Rapunzel’s Royal Table has brought a completely new dining experience to the Magic. Similar to Tiana’s Place on the Magic’s counterpart — the Disney Wonder — Rapunzel’s Royal Table delivers a themed menu, live entertainment, and Disney characters to guests… all set inside a ballroom in the royal castle!

Hey, there! We’re back today with another DFB Video, and we’re letting you in on our Top FIVE Disney Cruise Line Dining Secrets!

Will you be setting sail with Donald Duck?

Aaah, there’s nothing quite like a Disney Cruise Line vacation. The ocean. The excursions. The magic. The FOOD!! There’s so much to enjoy on a Disney Cruise, and we want to help you enjoy YOUR future voyage even more by sharing our very best Disney Cruise Line Dining tips! So, do exactly what you would do on a Disney Cruise as you get ready to watch our latest DFB YouTube video… sit back, relax, and enjoy! Bon Voyage! [Read more…]

Disney Cruise Line’s original ship, the Disney Magic, underwent a stem-to-stern Re-Imagineering in 2013, which brought enhancements to the the ship resulting in new lounges, water features, and new and refreshed dining spaces (among other changes).

The Disney Magic

And now, further changes are coming to the Magic, including a brand new restaurant! Rapunzel’s Royal Table will debut on sailings beginning March 9, 2018.

We have something extra special for you today — a little peek into my Alaskan Cruise aboard the Disney Wonder!

The Disney Wonder in Port at Skagway

My family and I booked a multigenerational family trip to Alaska on the Disney Wonder last summer (one of my dad’s bucket list items). And I couldn’t resist the chance to share some of what I found.

A Disney Cruise is an amazing experience. The service, ports, and accommodations are simply unparalleled IMO. PLUS — there’s a hefty dose of Disney magic, which always makes an adventure just a little brighter.

If you haven’t had the chance to go, then I hope you do sometime soon! Find out more about them by ordering the free Disney Cruise Line video. I get one whenever they have them available.

But there’s more to cruising than just bein’ on the boat. And when we were in port in Skagway, Alaska, I took a few hours to tour the tiny city in search of goodies! And I found PLENTY!

Yummy treats in Skagway!

I hope you’re hungry. If you’re not, you probably will be very soon! [Read more…]

If the only thing better than a sundae is a sundae in a cool vessel (think: Kitchen Sink, Mickey’s Pants), then the only thing better than a sundae in a cool vessel is a sundae in a cool vessel on a Disney Cruise!

The Disney Dream, which went into ‘dry dock’ for some upgrades and alterations in 2015, is the (floating) place to go for Vanellope’s Sweets & Treats. And we don’t know about you, but anywhere with the words “sweets” and “treats” in the name is basically our favorite place.

So, what happens if you get a craving for cuisine from “Down in New Orleans” when you’re at sea?

Well, if you’re sailing on the Disney Wonder with Disney Cruise Line, we’ve got an answer for you. You’ll pay a visit to Tiana’s Place, the newest rotational dining restaurant on the Disney Wonder!

Disney Wonder

The Disney Wonder recently set sail having received a re-imagineering (also known as a major makeover) involving updates and additions to areas all across the ship. While the makeover in some ways is similar to the Disney Magic (which was re-imagined in 2013), the Wonder has a few new features all its own, including Tiana’s Place. [Read more…]

Great news for families who prefer to stick with healthy food options during their Disney adventures!

Mickey Check Meals have now made their way to the entire fleet of Disney Cruise Line ships.

The Mickey Check is an emblem that kids and adults can use on Disney menus to quickly identify meals that meet the Disney Nutrition Guidelines. Mickey Check Meals have been available throughout Walt Disney World and Disneyland. And now, you can add them to your Disney Cruise Line dining options as well.

The use of the Mickey Check and the creation of healthy, nutritious meals continues the work of the Disney Magic of Healthy Living Initiative. The project works to provide nutritious options and kid-appropriate portions.

Mickey Check Meal on Disney Cruise Lines

Mickey Check Meals aim to provide three or more nutritious food groups, including [Read more…]

Join us in welcoming back Victoria Kabakian! She’s treating us to a review of the ultra-posh Remy — a Disney Cruise Line fine-dining restaurant.

Welcome to Remy

The crème de la crème of Disney Cruise Line dining is without a doubt Remy, the Ratatouille inspired restaurant on the Disney Dream and Disney Fantasy. On a recent cruise on the Disney Fantasy, I finally got to check out the “other” adults-only dining option from Disney Cruise Line.

The classic ships (Disney Magic and Disney Wonder) only feature Palo, a wonderful Italian restaurant inspired by Venice, but the two newer ships have also added this French culinary experience deriving half its menu from Chef Scott Hunnel from Walt Disney World’s Victoria & Albert’s and half from Chef Arnaud Lallement from L’Assiette Champenoise, a Michelin three-star restaurant in Tinqueux, France, to create a gastronomic collaboration that is worth every penny (and calorie).

Atmosphere

Located on deck 12 aft (that’s the ship’s rear end for you land-lubbers), Remy is the ultimate tribute to the most perfect “little chef” there ever was. Even before entering the main dining room, two of the wines that are featured in the film Ratatouille are displayed in the wine case: a 1961 Château Latour (featured in the scene where Chef Skinner and Linguini are drinking in the office) and a 1947 Cheval Blanc (featured in the restaurant review scene with Anton Ego). And by the way, you can actually purchase these wines at Remy from their wine vault if you’d like. They cost $13,000 and $25,000 respectively.

1961 Château Latour

1947 Cheval Blanc

Wine vault

Past the wine display is the intimate and elegant dining room, with windows stretching from end to end. This is truly the perfect setting for enjoying a view of the sunset during your meal. In fact we did, and trust me, it was stunning.

The view from our table

Sunset

Details featuring Remy and his brother Emile can be found throughout the main dining room. Remy is found hidden in glass atop one of the vibrant chandeliers. He is carved in wood on the backs of chairs. Remy and Emile are stitched into the fabric of the booths and their figures frame every mirror in the space.

Remy atop one of the lighting chandeliers

Rat detail on the back of a chair

Part of the gorgeous dining room

Rats stitched onto a booth

Remy on one side of a mirror

And his brother Emile on the other side

Upon further exploration, there are two additional dining rooms: a small wine room and of course the beloved Gusteau room, which is a replica of Gusteau’s restaurant in Ratatouille and even features a painting depicting the kitchen at Gusteau’s. A hand-woven carpet (one of three on the ship — the others are found in the atrium and the bridge where the ship is navigated). We’re told it took several months to create.

The Gusteau Room

The hand-woven carpet is a focal point

The painting of Gusteau’s kitchen

Eats

Although Remy also offers a Champagne brunch (at a $50 surcharge) on sea days, on this recent cruise we decided to splurge on dinner (a $75 surcharge plus $99 more if you add the wine experience, which we did not). First and foremost, the meal begins with a very special Champagne cocktail inspired by a very special character in the film, Colette.

The Colette

The Colette is prepared tableside and includes a bit of strawberry, a mint leaf, some Absolut Pears, and Taittinger Champagne. By mixing the Champagne with a spirit, the bubbles dissipate, but by adding a small bit of dried apricot at the end, it creates an effervescent effect that mimics the natural bubbles in Champagne. It’s like a fun magic trick that you get to drink. Cheers.

Tableside preparation of the Colette cocktail

After the strawberry and mint, they add the Absolut Pears

Taittinger Champagne

Adding the bubbly

The dried apricot replaces the lost bubbles

The finished product

Even before menus are presented, another taste of apparent magic hits your plates. The amuse bouche is a small sphere of deep-fried tomato soup. How is it made, you ask? Well after guessing that it’s prepared similarly to the way Chinese soup dumplings are made (using gelatinized broth in the filling, which then essentially melts when its heated), our amazing server Guiseppe confirmed that my suspicions were on the right track. How does it taste? Like deep-fried tomato soup, and oh so good.

Deep Fried Tomato Soup

A selection of fresh breads including tiny baguettes, multi-grain, and caramelized onion brioche are offered up next along with creamy butter from Vermont and sea salt from Bordeaux in France. The baguettes feature the perfect sound that Colette describes in the film as being a sign of great French bread. It has that crackle and that perfect taste and texture. The brioche is delicate and rich, another classic French creation. The multi-grain is the only bread I didn’t try.

The rat-detailed bread plate

Bread Selection

Butter and Sea Salt

The menu is divided in half with two tasting menus (with a la carte options as well so you can easily mix and match). The Saveur menu (meaning “flavor” in French) is created by Lallement, while the Goût menu (meaning “taste”) is created by Hunnel. Both are exquisite options, and while my sister opted to stick to the Goût side of the menu, I tried a little bit of each.

Dinner Menu

Our next treat from the chef before starting our official first course is langoustine with lobster bisque and lettuce reduction. The bite of langoustine is perfectly tender and succulent atop the super flavorful mound of bisque. The flavor of the sea really shines through here, creating a lovely start to this very special meal.

Langoustine with lobster bisque and lettuce reduction

For our first course, we both selected the Wagyu carpaccio with ratatouille, basil coulis, 8 year aged Modena balsamic, and Parmesan crisps. The cold ratatouille is actually hidden underneath paper-thin layers of one of the world’s most famous beefs. The soft textures of the beef and ratatouille are offset by the Parmesan crisps, while the basil coulis and aged balsamic each provide contrasting nuances of herbaceous freshness and sweetness.

Wagyu Carpaccio

Ratatouille hidden underneath

For our second course we tried the scallop crusted with masago (Japanese pearl rice) and served with a curried coconut broth, shiitake mushrooms, and bok choy. The scallop itself is the largest scallop I’ve ever seen in my life. It is perfectly cooked, still soft and slightly under in the center, with a lovely crisp texture on the exterior from the masago. The curried broth is so full of flavor, I wanted to tip the edge of the bowl directly into my mouth and slurp. Don’t worry, I didn’t. Anton Ego wouldn’t approve of that behavior!

Scallop with curried coconut broth

Our third course is a polenta and chicken egg yolk stuffed ravioli served over a mixture of corn, black barley and poulet rouge topped with a sweet corn emulsion. This course truly encompasses the chicken AND the egg. I love the sweetness in this dish from the three different uses of corn (polenta in the filling, and corn in the base and in the emulsion). The chewiness from the black barley adds a great textural element, and of course the oozing yolk is the highlight of the dish.

Ravioli

Mmmmm, runny yolk!

My sister’s entrée from the Goût side of the menu is onion ash and black Hawaiian salt dusted lamb medallions, asparagus, marble potatoes, and pickled onions. The meat is succulent with a very unique flavor from that onion ash dusting. My sister only spared me one bite (but it was a wonderful bite) and she couldn’t stop swooning about her choice. It really is a lovely dish.

Lamb

My entrée from the Saveur side of the menu is cold smoked and pan-roasted Wagyu beef with carrot puree, baby carrots, an orb (thanks, molecular gastronomy) filled with more carrot puree and braised short rib, spinach coulis, and served with a tableside drizzle of Bourguignon sauce. The beef is cooked perfectly and is so utterly tender. The bit of carrot puree and braised short rib that is encapsulated on the dish (not too visible in the picture, unfortunately) is a really neat surprise. It almost bursts in your mouth with sweet carrot puree and then that delicious meatiness that is short ribs. Oh yes. No regrets.

Wagyu Beef

At this point because we were here for my birthday (belated, but still worth celebrating!) the chef actually came out and took a photo with us and then signed personalized menus for us. What a great treat!